ELECTRODES FOR USE IN DISPLAYS
First Claim
1. A liquid crystal display (LCD) comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel comprising:
- a liquid crystal layer, wherein alignment of a plurality of liquid crystals within the liquid crystal layer is determined by an electric field;
an opaque mask defining an aperture over the liquid crystal layer;
a circuitry layer beneath the liquid crystal layer, the circuitry layer capable of generating the electric field, the circuit layer comprising;
an insulating layer;
a first electrode formed on a first side of the insulating layer, the electrode comprising two or more finger-like regions, wherein respective ends of the two or more finger-like regions extend beneath the opaque mask such that disclinations of liquid crystals in the liquid crystal layer occur substantially over the opaque mask; and
a second electrode formed on a second side of the insulating layer opposite the first side.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A liquid crystal display (LCD) is provided having a discontinuous electrode. In certain embodiments, finger- or slit-like extensions of the discontinuous electrode may be shaped to reduce or eliminate disclinations of liquid crystals within a pixel aperture used to transmit light, where the liquid crystals are oriented in response to an electric field generated using the discontinuous electrode. Similarly, in other embodiments, the different portions of the discontinuous electrode may be lengthened to extend under an opaque mask or may not be linked at one end to reduce or eliminate the disclinations.
106 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A liquid crystal display (LCD) comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel comprising:
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a liquid crystal layer, wherein alignment of a plurality of liquid crystals within the liquid crystal layer is determined by an electric field; an opaque mask defining an aperture over the liquid crystal layer; a circuitry layer beneath the liquid crystal layer, the circuitry layer capable of generating the electric field, the circuit layer comprising; an insulating layer; a first electrode formed on a first side of the insulating layer, the electrode comprising two or more finger-like regions, wherein respective ends of the two or more finger-like regions extend beneath the opaque mask such that disclinations of liquid crystals in the liquid crystal layer occur substantially over the opaque mask; and a second electrode formed on a second side of the insulating layer opposite the first side. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An electronic device, comprising:
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one or more input structures; a storage structure encoding one or more executable routines; a processor capable of receiving inputs from the one or more input structures and of executing the one or more executable routines when loaded in a memory; and a liquid crystal display (LCD) capable of displaying an output of the processor, wherein the LCD comprises a plurality of pixels, each pixel comprising; a liquid crystal layer comprising a plurality of liquid crystals whose alignment is determined by an electric field, wherein the alignment of the liquid crystals determines the amount of light which passes through the liquid crystal layer at the respective pixel; an opaque mask defining an aperture over the liquid crystal layer; and an electrode used to generate the electric field, the electrode comprising two or more finger-like regions, wherein respective ends of the two or more finger-like regions extend beneath the opaque mask such that disclinations of liquid crystals in the liquid crystal layer occur substantially over the opaque mask. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A liquid crystal display (LCD) comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel comprising:
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a liquid crystal layer, wherein alignment of a plurality of liquid crystals within the liquid crystal layer is determined by an electric field; an opaque mask defining an aperture over the liquid crystal layer; and an electrode capable of generating the electric field, wherein the electrode comprises two or more finger-like regions comprising curved edges. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An electronic device, comprising:
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one or more input structures; a storage structure encoding one or more executable routines; a processor capable of receiving inputs from the one or more input structures and of executing the one or more executable routines when loaded in a memory; and a liquid crystal display (LCD) capable of displaying an output of the processor, wherein the LCD comprises a plurality of pixels, each pixel comprising; a liquid crystal layer comprising a plurality of liquid crystals whose alignment is determined by an electric field; and an electrode used to generate the electric field, the electrode comprising two or more finger-like regions having curved edges at at least one terminal region of the respective finger-like regions. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A liquid crystal display (LCD) comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel comprising:
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an insulating layer; a first electrode formed on a first side of the insulating layer; a second electrode formed on a second side of the insulating layer opposite the first side, the second electrode comprising two or more finger-like extensions, each having an asymmetric end region; and a plurality of liquid crystals whose alignment is determined by an electric field generated between the first electrode and the second electrode. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification